Pontianak compound and method of preparing same.



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"UNITED sTAT s PATENT OFFICE,

GRAY STAUNTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY ASSIGNMENTS, TO

' VTILLIAM S; POTWIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

PONTIANAK COMPOUND AND METHOD PREPARING SAME.

No Drawing.

To (ZZZ whom 2'6 may-concern Be it known that I, G'RAY STAUNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lln n-ovements in Pontianak Compounds and in Methods of Preparing the Same, of which the following is hereby declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

Pontianak or getah jelutong, as it is sometimes called, appears upon the market as a cheap, inelastic gugn constituting the coagulated latex of Dyera costulata'. The gum takes its name from the export town of Pontianak, Borneo, and=is sold in the form of leaves or lumps of cheese-like shape, externally of light brown color, although nearly White andof granular structure within.

Instead of resembling india rubber, pon tianak appears more like a. very resinous gutta-percha of extremely low grade. It contains a marked percentage of water which exudes under pressure; ,it-,,.can; bcfiv easily worked with the fingers but possesses very little tenacity. ,The gum is not to be sheeted upon the washing rolls without preliminary immersion in hot water fora long while beforehand. Upon the mixing rolls, pontianak forms a veryvsticky, tenacious mass that suggests the manner of its familiar use in low grade mixings, as a friction or a filler.

By proper course of 't'rcall'uent, in conjunction with suitable reagents, according to the present invention, crude pontianak becomes transformed into a pontianak (0H1- ponnd of far higher grade, suited for direct admixture with pure lara gum, in \'a1- ing proportions familiar ttrllie trade, much the same as if the newsfutl were an iiidia rubber of inferior grade, or were some one of the re-claimed rubbers which, ininutel Y divided, constitiite the ground shoddy so often employed a regular ingredientin more recent practice :uuong indiarubbcr maruitacturers. ot only does the modified, pontianak serve as a Valuable ingredient in compounding rubber mixtures preliminary to vulcanization, but, when united as a binder in intimate relation with flax fiber, after the manner presently detailed, an insulation material of high resistance results, which is especially serviceable in exposed situations'out Specification of Letters Patent. 3 Patented Nov, 11, 1913, Application filed June 10, 1907. Serial No. 378,300.

ofdoors where most articles of the sort are a ptto quickly deteriorate from the Weather, In ordinary practice, excellent results are to be had on admixture of the following, viz (a) pontiauak, 4 parts; (1)) cotton-seed oil, 8 parts; (0) air-slakedli1ne, dry, 2 parts; and, (cl) flowers of sulfur, 2 parts.

One-half the portion of cotton-seed oil is first heated in. an open kettle to about 200 F the crude pontianak being crumbled and added portionwise, while brisk stirring proceeds. The heat is gradually increased as Stirring goes on, so that a' final temperature of about st F. is reached, just about the time that the last portions of pontianak come in. lVith persistent stirring, all lumps gradually disappear so that the batch becomes homogeneous and resembles somewhat a thin mucilage solution. \Vhether the oil renders the pontianak soluble by reason of the quantity of resins associated in the gum likely conjecture, but, whatever the cause, it is certain that the liquid condition at high 't-emperature affords abundant chance for rapid dissemination of the flowers of sulfur through and through the mass, at the stage of treatment later on. Thereupon, the remaining halt portion of the cotton-seed oil is quickly added, tlnscausing a marked fall -in temperature, 0. 9., say,'about 50 F.

Next, the air-slaked lime is stirred in, portionwise, to avoid the formation of lumps. The presence of lime causes the batch to change from light brown to yellow, and renders the charge somewhat stringy, after the manner of a thick paste, the temperature droppinggradually to about 350 F. This stage is reached, say, some two hours after the start occurs. Finally, the flowers of sulfur are briskly stirred into the batch which--at the high hcat-melts the sulfur and allows it to settle away in liquid state near the bottom. Persistent vstirring keeps .the sulfur minutely dissel'ninated through and through the mass. In presence of sulfur, the charge begins to swell and efiervescc, coagulating into lumps of various size which proceed to separate from the magma and coalesce eventually into an homogeneous mass all over the kettle. The heat being shut off, the riscid charge, still in swollen state, is poured into shallow molds (cement) to a depth of some six inches-andis left to cool in the open ,air.

Save forjhe cost, oil of corn, linseed, or

.the like, can be taken in lieu of the oil of cotton-seed for preparation of modified pontianak. So also, temperatures, proportions and duration of treatment, as heretofore laid down, are given merely for illustration,

' to better aid the skilled, and are not to be taken as in limitation.

The product obtained by the foregoing process, constitutes of itself an article of commerce, capable of widespread use in the compoundin of rubber, Without further preparation it is ready for incorporation at the mixing rolls, just the same as if the new material were some crude rubber of medium or'low grade sort.

For preparation of the improved insulator compound, employing a 'modified pontianak as an ingredient, excellent results ensueon resort to the following formula, via:

(a)j pontianak, modified, 5' parts; (12) dry. .slaked. lime, 2% parts;

2% parts; (d) clear back, e., C. B. or. rubber dust, 5 parts; and, (elfiax fiber, 74; parts. i i

In com ounding, the ordinary mixing r'olls+pre erably run at even speedare employed. at moderate temperature, 2. 9., 100 F. First, the modified pontianak is put into the rolls, after which the lime and sulfur follow, these being'added portion wise as in usual practice for compounding with rubber. Next, follows the clear black or dust, incorporated in like fashion, the several additions requiring for absorption some'five minutes altogether. Finally, the dry fiaxfiber is fed ortionwise, causing the batch to stifi'en rapidly until it attains sheet form, while slight'additions of degras (141} lbs.) are made to ,aid in sheeting, exactly the same as is familiar'practice in dealing with .hard working or heavily compounded rubber stock.- After some 20-30 minutes run, the fiber becomes thoroughly. broken and intimately distributed throughout the mass so that the batch assumestenacious "sheet form ready for molding or other treatment, after the mannerof ordinary rubber compounds.

The improved product can'be curedas usual in the familiar vul'canizing oven, but itacts very. quickly, a sheet, say, one-quarter of an inch thick, requiring only about one hours exposure-at lbs. pressure.

The flax fiber comes. from flax straw which, on being. run through a brake, yields tow. It the tow,.be charged into-a rotary dlgester and there be treated for some six hours with 12% solution of-caustic potash or soda at 125 lbs. pressure, the fiber re1n-' nant-is left'practically freed from the woody shive so that upon thorough washing and drying a ,purifi'ed substance is obtained, properly sulted for use in accord with the invention.

.a minute tubule, the flax fiber appears to develop a high insulating ual-ity when united with the modified pontlanak by vulcanization, such as would not ensue if common cotton fiber, for example, were used instead. ()n its part, the modified pontianak is not only much cheaper but seems to insure the quality of the product for insulation purposes, being far superior to the ordinary sorts of indie rubber.

In preparing the modified pontianak, the presence of lime is found very advantageous one reason being that it enables the finished material to be used in compoundin white or colored goods, other than bladk. To

Owing to its peculiarity of structure, as

lessen the quantity of lime materially, or to omit it altogether, renders the final product of inferior dark color that itis fit only for comp0unding black goods. of lime, while by no means erally desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. As a new article of manufacture, a vulcanizable rubber substitute comprisin a plastic compound of coagulated, sulfunzed essential, is gen- Hence' the use pontianak and oil, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a 'vulcanizable rubber substitute comprising a plastic compound of coagulated, sulfurized pontianak and'oil and lime, substantially as described.

3. The process of reparing a plastic-rubber substitute, whic consists in liquefying crude pontianak in a hot bath of suitable oil, and reacting on the liquefied pontianak and oil with sulfur, substantially as described.

4. The process of preparinga plastic rub- I ber substitute which consists in supplying a "hot bath of suitable oil with additions of crude pont-ianak, lime and sulfur and, after.

union is completed, cooling and solidifying the product, substantially, as described.

5. As a. new article of manufacture, the insulator material consisting of. a coagulated', sulfurized compound of pontianak and oil in vulcanized union with sulfur and a suitablefiller, substantia-ly as described. 6. As a new article of manufacture, the insulator material consisting of a coagulated, v

sulfurized compound of pontianak and a suitable oil in vulcanized union with fiber and a suitable filler, substantially as described. f

GRAY sTAUNTo Witnesses: JAMES H. Pnmcn,

K THARINE Gunmen.- 

